Quincy officials urge flood-map residents to 'take action'

Tuesday

Apr 8, 2014 at 3:01 AMApr 8, 2014 at 3:03 AM

Flood insurance took center stage in downtown Quincy on Monday night as hundreds of residents attended the first of two FEMA workshops, while concurrently, over at city hall, the city council heard from an engineer on the impact of the city's new flood map, set to go into effect June 9.

Patrick Ronan The Patriot Ledger @pronan_Ledger

QUINCY – Government officials are urging Quincy residents affected by the new flood map to call their insurance agents to lock in lower rates – and do it by May 9.Also, the city is offering to pay for land surveys if affected residents want to file individual appeals with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Make sure you don’t put this off,” Ward 1 City Councilor Margaret Laforest said to the public. “Take action and advocate for your property.”

Flood insurance took center stage in downtown Quincy on Monday night as hundreds of residents attended the first of two FEMA workshops, while concurrently, over at city hall, the city council heard from an engineer on the impact of the city’s new flood map, set to go into effect June 9.

Quincy’s new map will bring 1,400 new properties into the flood plain and raise risk rates for about 2,700 properties already in the plain. Owners with federally backed mortgages in the plain must buy flood insurance, while owners without mortgages could face diminished property values if they want to sell their home or transfer their deed someday.

Although the city is pursuing map changes from FEMA to lessen the burden on homeowners, city councilors and Woodard & Curran, the engineering firm hired by the city to study flood maps, are urging all affected residents to call their insurance agents and lock in existing rates.

They’re advising people to act before May 9 because it can take up to a month before an insurance plan goes into effect.

On June 10, the city plans to request that FEMA revise the map based on several factors, including neighborhood land surveys, proof of mapping errors and flood-prevention measures taken by the city. However, FEMA’s response to the request isn’t expected until the fall, said Joseph Shea, senior vice president at Woodard & Curran.

Further complicating the process is the uncertain timeline of a new flood insurance-relief law passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama last month. The law rescinds some of most controversial provisions of the Biggert-Waters Act of 2012, ensuring rebates and reduced rate increases for some people.

But FEMA has said it doesn’t know how long it’ll take to implement the new law.

“This brings a lot of concern and angst to people,” Shea said, “because there is a deadline coming on June 9 with new maps that many people are impacted by, yet there’s not a lot of information at this point what deadlines FEMA was going to use to implement the new law.”

Aside from the city’s challenge of the new map, individual property owners can appeal to FEMA as well by getting an elevation certificate, which costs about $300. The city has offered to cover this expense for qualifying individuals if the city’s challenge fails.

Residents are being asked to call the city’s engineering department at 617-376-1937 if they want to be included in a land survey.

At Quincy High School on Monday, hundreds of city residents waited in line to meet individually with FEMA officials to discuss the impact of the new map. FEMA will host a second workshop from 5 to 8 tonight at the new Central Middle School at 875 Hancock St.

John Murphy of Wollaston, whose home is being added to the flood plain on June 9, said the workshop was helpful.

“I think they did a good job,” Murphy said. “We’re not happy with the rates going up, but at least we have an idea about what’s going on.”

Murphy, and all owners being added to the plain, are being told to buy what’s called a “preferred risk policy” before May 9. FEMA says the policy’s annual premium is about $450, much cheaper than what could be charged with the new map.

Owners already in the plain, however, may get the biggest premium hikes if the new map puts them at a higher flood-risk level. For example, Rich Panarelli of Quincy Shore Drive, said last week his insurance agent estimated his premium will increase from $1,100 per year to $3,200 per year.

Panarelli said his property has never flooded.

“We should pay on our risk. That would make common sense,” he said.

In other business Monday, the city council voted to give Mayor Thomas Koch permission to sell the old Central Middle School building at 1012 Hancock St.